360 PURPURID^. 



Mr. Say describes the animal as follows: " pale- whitish, foot 

 linear, nearly as long as the shell, acute behind, hardly larger than 

 the respiratory trunk, truncate before ; trunk more than half as 

 long as the shell, obtuse at tip, with a brown annnlation near the 

 tip, and another near the base ; tentacula short, cylindrical, annu- 

 late with blackish on the middle ; eyes black, placed on the base of 

 the tentacula." 



This species also has proved to be a Columbella. 



Family PURPURID.^, Brod. 



Shell with a short, ascending canal, or an oblique notch, or 

 semi-canal, directed upwards. 



Oeiius PURPURA, Brug. 1789. 



Shell oblong-oval ; last whorl large ; spire short ; aperture ovate, 

 large, with an oblique channel or groove at the fore part ; columella 

 flattened ; outer lip simple. 



Purpura lapillus. 



Shell ovate, pointed, solid, variegated in color, Avliite, yellow, chocolate, and 

 often banded with white; surface with numerous coarse, revolving ridges; aper- 

 ture oval, outer lip thickened, and toothed within. 



Buccinum lapillus, Lin. Syst. Nat. 1202. — Pennant, Brit. Zool. iv. 218, t. 72, fig. 89. — 

 Martini, Conch, iii. 429, t. 121, figs. 1111, 1112, and iv. 22, t. 122, figs. 1124, 112.5, 

 &c. — Donovan, Brit. Shells, pi. 11. — Wood, Index, pi. 23, fig. 62. — Montagu, 

 Test. Brit. 2.39 



Tritoniuin lapi/lus, Mui.ler, Zool. Dan. Prodr. 244. 



Piirpnrn-Burrinum, Da Costa, Brit. Conch. 125. 



Purpura lapillus. Lam. An. s.ins Vert. (1st ed ) vi. ; 2d cd. x. 79. — Goui.D, Inv. 1st 

 ed. 301. — KiK.NER, Jconog. (Pourpr,') 101, pi. 29, 30, 31, figs. 77 -77s. —Flem- 

 ing, Brit. Anini. 3-41. — De Kay, N. Y. Moll. 135, pi. 8, fig. 175. — Stimpson, 

 Check Lists, 5. 



Shell ovate, acutely pointed at both extremities, thick and solid, 

 varying in color, from white through yellow to a dark chocolate, 

 and often with bands of white or yellow, of different widths ; sur- 

 face more or less wrinkled and encircled with numerous coarse, un- 

 equal ridges. Some are nearly smooth, and others, at the lines of 

 growth, have series of raised, concave scales, which render the 

 whole shell rough and prickly to the touch ; whorls five or six, in 

 some convex, so that the spire appears turrctcd, in others flattened 



